by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Ross finally addressed the drama that has surrounded his football team with the Jonathan Martin situation, and the Miami Dolphins owner passionately demonstrated on Monday night that yes, there is some proactive leadership at the top.

Sure, Ross should have spoken to the public in the flesh - rather than through the statements issued by the team last week - way before now.

What he strongly declared during a press conference before the Dolphins' nationally-televised game at Tampa, could have been said when the issue first hit the fan.

This situation begged for it, and crisis management pros will tell you that it's advisable to get in front of a scandal, ASAP.

Better late than never.

Ross said that, like me, he was appalled by the use of the racial slurs - not only in the text message from suspended guard Richie Incognito, but in the workplace environment that is the Dolphins locker room.

He didn't jump to conclusions, stating the need to collect more facts, which will include a private meeting with Martin on Wednesday.

Martin, a second-year tackle from Stanford whom the Dolphins invested a second-round pick on, has been with family and sought counseling.

Ross pledged that there would be changes, including the formulation of an advisory committee with some of the most respected people in the NFL community: Don Shula, Tony Dungy, Dan Marino, Jason Taylor and Curtis Martin.

That doesn't strike me as some sort PR move. It is a humble and can-do act of someone seeking assistance, genuinely trying to grasp input that can help formulate long-term solutions that include creating the right environment.

He apologized to his fan base for the mess, and explained why he sought input from the NFL to launch an independent investigation.

He gave coach Joe Philbin props ... and even mentioned Hard Knocks, the HBO series in which the Dolphins appeared last year.

But it was one of the first things that Ross said that resonated the most. He said that he cares about Martin, who apparently was so troubled by the environment that he did what football players rarely do on their own - he walked away.

"Every voice, every person, needs to be heard," Ross said. "Obviously, there was a voice that wasn't being heard."

Ross had the proper response that countered Incognito's incomplete attempt during his damage-control interview with Fox Sports' Jay Glazer.

Dolphins players - including the weak, would-be leaders who painted Martin as a teammate unworthy of empathy and expressed no such remorse about the racial insensitivity attached to the case - dictated narrative that cast Incognito as a sympathetic figure with their comments last week.

Well that, too, has been turned on its head.

There's hope for the Dolphins. With such high-profile attention cast toward how they will respond to this episode, Ross put his name and reputation on the line.

He insists they will learn and grow from this.

Better yet, he has the power to demand that the culture changes.

So the buck won't stop with Philbin or embattled GM Jeff Ireland.

The accountability will cross the desk of the man whose opinion matters most within the Dolphins organization, the man who committed $200 million during an offseason free agent spending spree.

This also has the potential to send a powerful message, given the NFL's expansive platform, about the social leadership that teams have within their power to demonstrate.

Ross is to be applauded for finally stepping up to put his face on the issue.

He sounded genuine enough.

Now let's see how he ensures that others are held accountable - and that the changes he promises result in an NFL workplace environment that reflects a progressive society.